Written Answers Wednesday 21 June 2006

Scottish Executive

Antisocial Behaviour

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many post-conviction antisocial behaviour orders have been imposed by (a) sheriffs and (b) others in each of the last five years.

Hugh Henry: The power to grant Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) on conviction was introduced by the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004. Fifty-five ASBOs on conviction were made in the period 1 March 2005 to 31 March 2006. All these orders were made in Sheriff courts.

Child Care

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many looked after children were aged (a) under one, (b) one to four, (c) five to 11, (d) 12 to 15 and (e) 16 to 17 and, of these, how many were looked after for (i) under six weeks, (ii) six weeks to under six months, (iii) six months to under one year, (iv) one year to under three years, (v) three years to under five years and (vi) five years and over in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Robert Brown: The number of children looked after at 31 March each year is collected by age group, whilst the period of time for which a young person was looked after can only be measured at the point at which they leave care. Both sets of statistics are published in the Children’s Social Work Statistics 2004-05 and copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38157).

Crime Prevention

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for crime prevention to (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year since 1999.

Hugh Henry: We have funded a range of measures which contribute to crime prevention including Make our Communities Safer Challenge Competition, the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme, Antisocial Behaviour funding and our investment in record numbers of police officers.

  Under the Make our Communities Safer Challenge Competition which ended in March 2002, the awards detailed in the following table were made:

  Argyll and Bute

  

 Year
 Project
 Award


 1998-99
 Rothesay Town Centre CCTV
£63,300


 1999-2000
 
£0


 2000-01
 Campbeltown CCTV
£9,500


 2001-02
 Dunoon New Community Schools
£8,100



  West Dunbartonshire

  

 Year
 Project
 Award


 1998-99
 
£0


 1999-2000
 Dumbarton Town Centre CCTV
£160,000


 2000-01
 New Bonhill CCTV
£140,000


 2001-02
Clydebank Trust 
CCTVYouth Shelters
£129,440
£18,500



  On 1 April 2002 we introduced a new Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Award Programme for all local authority-led CSPs. The programme assists CSPs to identify and address their local community safety priorities, including crime prevention. The awards for 2002-03 onwards are set out in the following table:

  

 Year
 Argyll and Bute
 West Dunbartonshire


 2002-03
£84,127
£118,491


 2003-04
£78,465
£122,875


 2004-05
£87,609
£120,508


 2005-06
£75,097.39
£108,594


 2006-07
£75,097.39
£108,594



  Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire Community Planning Partnerships have been allocated funding to tackle antisocial behaviour over the period 2004-08 as set out in the following table. This has included funding for a range of initiatives, which include measures that can contribute to crime prevention, such as community wardens.

  

 Year
 Argyll and Bute
 West Dunbartonshire


 2004-05
£184,000
£1,364,000


 2005-06
£204,700
£1,513,550


 2006-07
£247,000
£1,765,000


 2007-08
£260,000
£1,900,000



  Police GAE funding is paid directly to Strathclyde Joint Police Board and it is for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police to decide on the best use of the funding available to him. The amount of police GAE allocated to Strathclyde Police in each year since 1999 is shown in the following table.

  

 Year
Police GAE
(£000)


 1998-99
 328,336


 1999-2000
 339,260


 2000-01
 352,183


 2001-02
 370,940


 2002-03
 389,140


 2003-04
 421,023


 2004-05
 444,070


 2005-06
 476,424


 2006-07
 496,307

Dyslexia

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of initial teacher training courses specifically address dyslexia awareness.

Peter Peacock: Initial teacher education courses do not include prescribed content covering dyslexia awareness.

  Student teachers do, however, receive an appropriate amount of tuition and guidance on how to recognise and support pupils with additional support needs, including dyslexia.

  The Executive has recently awarded Aberdeen University £1.39 million to establish a chair in inclusive education. The associated project aims to embed inclusive approaches in initial teacher education to enable teachers to better support and work with pupils who have literacy difficulties, including dyslexia, and other learning difficulties. The benefits of this approach will be rolled out to other universities in due course.

Dyslexia

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of postgraduate teacher training courses specifically address dyslexia awareness.

Peter Peacock: Postgraduate teacher education courses do not include prescribed content covering dyslexia awareness.

  However, student teachers on such courses do receive an appropriate amount of tuition and guidance on how to recognise and support pupils with additional support needs, including dyslexia.

  The Executive has recently awarded Aberdeen University £1.39 million to establish a chair in inclusive education. The associated project aims to embed inclusive approaches in initial teacher education to enable teachers to better support and work with pupils who have literacy difficulties, including dyslexia, and other learning difficulties. The benefits of this approach will be rolled out to other universities in due course.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that, as part of its Health Promoting Schools strategy, schools provide the time, space and opportunity for of outdoor play and encourage participation in it.

Peter Peacock: Physical activity is integral to the whole school approach to health promotion in schools. The Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit (SHPSU), which supports the Executive’s commitment for all schools to become health promoting by 2007, includes a National Development Officer who has responsibility for the national programme for physical activity.

  The Active Schools programme aims to encourage increased physical activity by developing high quality opportunities for young people to participate in regular, frequent, safe and fun activities incorporating physical activity, sport, play and active travel. Over years 2003-06 the Scottish Executive has invested £24 million in this programme with further funding of £12 million for 2006-07. Currently, 32 Active Schools managers and more than 650 Active Schools co-ordinators are in post in local authorities and schools across Scotland.

  Outdoor Education is a widely recognised and valued component for a rounded and rich educational experience. Over 2004-06, local authorities were awarded funding of £34 million for Study Support/Out of School Hours Learning provision. This includes opportunities for Outdoor Education.

  The Executive is also funding a two-year programme - Outdoor Connections - which is being implemented by a National Development Officer seconded to Learning and Teaching Scotland. Outdoor Connections aims to continue the drive to improve the quality of learning experiences through various and diverse programmes and approaches and to secure a sustainable status for Outdoor Education as part of overall education and lifelong learning provision.

  Sport 21, the national strategy for sport in Scotland, has a target "To make progress towards all schoolchildren taking part in at least two hours of high quality physical education classes a week". The Scottish Executive is committed to meeting the target of having an additional 400 Physical Education teachers in place by 2008. To this end, we announced in December 2005 additional funding to allow local authorities to recruit new teachers and we are working with teacher education institutions to increase the number of places available for PE students.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made to provide assistance to the fishing industry to help address rising fuel costs.

Ross Finnie: If, as seems possible, fuel prices are set to stay at current levels for a long time, the industry must consider how it can adjust. Short-term measures which do not address the long-term issues facing the industry are unhelpful.

  To help the industry in this matter the Seafish Industry Authority is leading an integrated programme of projects, with part funding from the Scottish Executive, that aim to find ways of enhancing the fuel efficiency of fishing vessels.

  One of these projects is looking into the provision of cheaper, environmentally friendly fuel by investigating two different approaches:

  
The production of a form of bio diesel that can be used in existing fishing vessel engines, and 
  Bio fuels which can be used after modifications to engines.


  Testing on the latter will commence on two vessels over the coming months, with the aim – if all goes well – of investigating widespread commercial use by the end of 2007.

  Other Seafish projects will involve the examination of thinner twines to reduce trawl drag and other areas in gear, vessel engineering and vessel operations which can produce significant savings or improvement in efficiency.

  The new EFF regulation also provides the possibility of grant aiding the purchase of replacement engines. Conditions are attached to prevent increases in fleet capacity that could undermine the value of the difficult measures we have taken in Scotland to match better fleet capacity to available stocks.

Flood Prevention

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all applications submitted in relation to flood prevention schemes in Moray, including those where decisions have yet to be taken, showing (a) the outcome or status of each application, (b) the level of funding awarded in each case and (c) where decisions have yet to be reached, the anticipated timescale for reaching such decisions.

Rhona Brankin: Under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 (the 1961 Act), the Moray Council submitted the Lhanbryde Flood Prevention Scheme for confirmation in December 2003. After the withdrawal of the only objection on 24 March 2004, Scottish ministers considered the submission and confirmed the Scheme, without modification, on 5 May 2004. A Notice of Intention to Develop (NID) for the Lhanbryde scheme was notified to Scottish ministers on 9 March 2004, and planning permission was granted on 5 April 2004. An offer of grant funding of 50% of the estimated eligible costs of £1,354,107 was made in August 2004. The level of grant support was subsequently revised to 80% following the abolition in 2004 of specific capital consents for schemes and the introduction of the prudential regime.

  In addition, the Moray Council formally advertised the Forres (Burn of Mosset) Flood Prevention Scheme on 23 February 2005 and submitted the Scheme to Scottish ministers for confirmation in June 2005. Although the Council sought to address the objections received by Scottish ministers four objections were not withdrawn. Accordingly, in accordance with the 1961 act, a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) requires to be held to consider the objections and this has been arranged to open on 26 September 2006. After Scottish ministers have considered the report of the PLI, they may confirm the scheme, with or without modification, or refuse to confirm the Scheme. Should the scheme be confirmed, the indications are that the scheme would be eligible for grant at 80% of the eligible costs.

  Scottish ministers also have a NID for the Forres (Burn of Mosset) Flood Prevention Scheme before them. Letters of representation were received and the planning application was notified to Scottish ministers on 1 June 2006. This case is currently under consideration, with the 28 day deadline due to expire on 3 July. As the case is currently before Scottish ministers, it would be inappropriate for any comment to be made on the merits of the particular proposal at this stage.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding was provided to (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and (b) NHS Highland for national initiatives outwith its annual budget allocation in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39879).

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the allocation of resources was to (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) NHS Highland for 2006-07.

Mr Andy Kerr: To date £1,843.783 million has been allocated to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and £480.525 million has been allocated to NHS Highland for 2006-07. Further allocations will be made throughout the year.

Health

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to GPs to enable them to pass information to patients regarding the E112 scheme.

Mr Andy Kerr: The E112 scheme, named for the form which must be obtained from the home state health authority authorising treatment in another European Economic Area member state, has been in existence since 1973. While there is no automatic right to an E112 referral, and the patient may incur non-refundable costs, information about the scheme has been publicly available in the UK Health Departments booklet Health Advice for Travellers since the scheme’s inception.

  The UK Health Departments are working together to produce revised guidance on treatment abroad in the light of the recent European Court of Justice ruling on the case of Mrs Yvonne Watts. This will be made available to the NHS at all levels.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues in relation to the safety of patients while in hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive is committed to ensuring that patient safety is viewed as a priority by NHS boards.

  In October 2005, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published standards for clinical governance and risk management which NHS boards are currently being reviewed against. This standard is available from: www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/servlet/controller?p_service=Content.show&p_applic=CCC&pContentID=2762.

  NHS boards are expected to implement these standards. It is mandatory that NHS boards have in place systems to manage risk, and this includes risks to patients.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that mixed-sex wards in hospitals are appropriate for (a) elderly and (b) teenage patients.

Mr Andy Kerr: Elderly or teenage patients should not be treated in mixed-sex wards.

  A programme of work to eliminate mixed-sex wards was completed in autumn 2005. The NHS is expected to take steps to avoid any reintroduction of mixed-sex wards. Where, for example, in intensive care units or in an emergency this is unavoidable, patients should be moved as a priority to single-sex accommodation as soon as their condition allows.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review its position on mixed-sex wards in NHS hospitals.

Mr Andy Kerr: Work to eliminate mixed-sex wards was completed in autumn 2005. We are not aware of any hospital which still makes routine use of mixed-sex general wards. Any evidence that the privacy or dignity of patients’ is being compromised is followed up proactively.

  Additionally, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s Clinical Governance and Risk Management Standards now include a requirement to ensure the dignity and privacy of patients is safeguarded at all times and compliance with this standard is monitored in their regular reviews.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the treatment of coronary heart disease.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy sets out the actions required to improve the treatment of coronary heart disease in Scotland. The National Advisory Committee on Coronary Heart Disease was established to take forward the CHD element of the Strategy. Managed Clinical Networks for cardiological services have been set up in each NHS board area to implement the Strategy at local level.

  Evidence based standards have been set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS), based on relevant SIGN Guidelines. These standards are monitored and evaluated by NHS QIS. MCNs are responsible for taking the findings of evidence based practice and guidelines forward to improve standards and quality of care.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to improve the treatment of coronary heart disease in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: Following the launch of the Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy in 2002 an additional £40 million was "ring fenced" to support its implementation for a period of three years between 2003 and 2006. Managed clinical networks, established in each NHS board area, have been an integral component in determining the allocation of these funds at a local level.

  NHS boards do not receive a specific budget for the treatment of coronary heart disease. An annual allocation is made to each board to utilise and meet the health care needs of its resident population, including the cost of treatment for coronary heart disease, taking account of national and local priorities. Coronary Heart Disease is a national priority for NHS Scotland and the Scottish Executive.

  The general allocation to NHS boards since 1999 is as follows:

  
1999-2000 - £4,566.26 million
  2000-01 - £4,919.40 million
  2001-02 - £5,272.54 million
  2002-03 - £5,932.08 million
  2003-04 - £6,384.51 million
  2004-05 - £7,465.22 million
  2005-06 - £8,112.94 million.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the treatment of strokes.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive’s Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Stroke Strategy, drawn up in 2002 set out recommendations to improve stroke services in NHS Scotland. NHS boards have taken action to implement these recommendations. A Stroke Managed Clinical Network (MCN) has been set up in each health board area. These networks are a way of bringing together clinicians from all sectors of the NHS to work with patients to deliver sustainable improvements in stroke services. A National Advisory Committee for Stroke has been established to take forward the implementation of the stroke elements of the strategy. £40 million of additional funding for the period 2003-06 was allocated to boards to help take forward the recommendations of the CHD and Stroke Strategy. Approximately 50% of this funding was allocated to priority projects identified by the Stroke MCNs. These projects included: setting up Acute Stroke Units, enhanced neurovascular services, and recruiting more allied health professionals and nursing staff.

  Following on from the strategy we set a target to reduce deaths from stroke by 50% in the under-75s between 1995 and 2010. We are on track to meet these targets as there has been a 40% reduction in the mortality rate for the under-75s during this period.

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland published its Stroke Standards in March 2004 and all boards have been visited by NHS QIS staff during 2004-05 to assess whether they were meeting these standards. All boards have developed action plans to increase their compliance with the quality standards.

  In their treatment of stroke patients boards are also expected to take account of evidence-based SIGN Guideline 78 - Management of patients with stroke: Identification and management of dysphagia, and SIGN Guideline 64 Management of patients with stroke: rehabilitation, prevention and management of complications, and discharge planning. SIGN Guideline 64 is currently being reviewed but its recommendations are not significantly affected by new evidence.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to improve the treatment of strokes in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. NHS boards do not receive a specific budget for the treatment of stroke. NHS boards receive an annual allocation. It is for each NHS board to utilise the funds available to meet the health care needs of its resident population, including the cost of treatment for stroke, taking account of national and local priorities. The general allocations to boards since 1999 are as follows:

  
1999-2000 - £4,566.26 million
  2000-01 - £4,919.40 million
  2001-02 - £5,272.54 million
  2002-03 - £5,932.08 million
  2003-04 - £6,384.51 million
  2004-05 - £7,465.22 million
  2005-06 - £8,112.94 million.


  £40 million of additional funding has been allocated to boards to help implement the recommendations of the CHD and Stroke Strategy since 2002. Approximately 50% of this funding was allocated to priority projects identified by each Stroke MCN. In addition, a further £15 million has been ring-fenced in 2006-07 to help boards improve CHD and stroke services.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the treatment of cancer.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scotland’s cancer strategy Cancer in Scotland sets out the strategic direction for improvements in cancer services.

  Additional investment in cancer services since 2001 has resulted in 300 additional staff and state of the art imaging, radiotherapy and other vital equipment across the country.

  In addition a new West of Scotland Cancer Centre is being built – the biggest hospital building project funded directly by the NHS in Scotland.

  New diagnostic waiting time standards announced last year are backed by £50 million over three years for new equipment, scanners and additional staff.

  All of this hard work is bringing significant improvement in survival. Deaths from cancer have fallen by 14.8% since 1995. This means more Scots are now living with and beating cancer.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to improve the treatment of cancer in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: More than £250 million has been targeted specifically at cancer services over the past five years. £25 million is the recurring Cancer in Scotland investment and from 2006 this was distributed to NHS boards via the general allocation.

  NHS boards do not receive a specific budget for the treatment of cancer. NHS boards receive an annual allocation. It is for each NHS board to utilise the funds available to meet the health care needs of its resident population, including the cost of treatment for cancer, taking account of national and local priorities. Cancer is a clinical priority for both the Scottish Executive and NHSScotland.

  The general allocations to NHS boards since 1999 are as follows:

  
1999-2000 - £4,566.26 million
  2000-01 - £4,919.40 million
  2001-02 - £5,272.54 million
  2002-03 - £5,932.08 million
  2003-04 - £6,384.51 million
  2004-05 - £7,465.22 million
  2005-06 - £8,112.94 million.

Housing

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many houses in the (a) West Dunbartonshire Council area, (b) Argyll and Bute Council area and (c) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency are now centrally heated as a result of its central heating installation programme.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Information is not held in the form requested. For private sector dwellings, information is held by main postcode area. In the PA postcode area, a total of 3,848 houses in the private sector are now centrally heated as a result of the central heating programme.

  Information on installations in council properties is held at local authority level. In the West Dunbartonshire Council area, a total of 202 council owned dwellings are now centrally heated as a result of the central heating programme. In the Argyll and Bute Council area a total of 151 council owned dwellings had systems installed under the programme.

Housing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the findings of research by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Community Care Providers Scotland identifying reductions which housing associations are having to make in their services to homeless, disabled and elderly people and deficits of £2 million in 2005-06 and nearly £3 million in 2006-07 faced by 12 of the major service providers operating Supporting People services.

Malcolm Chisholm: A comprehensive process for monitoring the impact of the budget changes made to Supporting People funding was agreed with local authorities, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Community Care Providers Scotland (CCPS) and others. The first monitoring returns from October 2005 confirmed that £12 million of efficiency savings had been made through reviewing services, with only limited evidence of any reduction in service capacity. There was also no strong evidence at that time that external providers were being disproportionately affected by the drive to improve efficiency and the need to redistribute Supporting People funding more fairly across Scotland.

  We will take very careful note of the SFHA/CCPS survey findings, but we need to await the next formal monitoring returns from local authorities at the end of July to get a comprehensive picture. We will be careful to check in our own monitoring that the service review process is fair and that external providers are not being treated unfairly. Local authorities are being asked for example to provide signed statements from a representative range of external providers confirming they agree the process has been fair.

  We take the concerns expressed in the SFHA/CCPS survey very seriously, but the Scottish Executive has already made £60 million of additional funding available, beyond that provided by Treasury, slowed down the rate of redistribution, and allowed local authorities to carry forward any under-spends from previous years to ease transitional pressures.

Maritime Safety

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to promote safety at sea for fishermen.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is promoting safety at sea for fishermen by providing grant aid to fund fishermen’s safety training and to assist fishermen with the costs of purchasing safety equipment. Across the UK the issue of general marine safety is a reserved function delivered through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of the Department of Transport.

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26016 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006 which states that "Children may be taken into care on a voluntary basis and the Scottish Executive does not hold this data", whether this indicates that the Executive has data to show how many cases exist of children being taken compulsorily into care and, if so, what these figures are for each year since 1990.

Robert Brown: Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration’s (SCRA) annual reports contain information on children who have been subject to compulsory measures of care and the nature of decisions made by children’s hearings. These can be found on the SCRA website www.SCRA.gov.uk .

Ministerial Costs

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26033 by Mr Tom McCabe on 8 June 2006, how many of its ministers and officials attended the lecture given by Bill Clinton on 10 May 2006 at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.

Mr Tom McCabe: The lecture on 10 May 2006 at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow was attended by eight MSPs, of which five were ministers, and seven officials. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister attended to represent the devolved government in Scotland and the others attended as guests of other organisations. The full attendee list is attached.

  MSP’s who attended

  Jack McConnell Nicol Stephen Tom McCabe Margaret Curran Tavish Scott Alastair Morrison Linda Fabiani Nicola Sturgeon

  Scottish Executive Officials

  Owen Kelly, Head of International and Communication Group Louise MacDonald, Head of International Projects Clare Smith, Marketing Manager Matthew Clark, Special Adviser, Political and Communications Adviser Kate Murray, Project Scotland Michael Cross, Head of Determined to Succeed Isla McCrone, Project Director, Determined to Succeed

  Media attendee list

  BBC Scotland: Peter Cole, Brian Innes, Colin MacNab, David MacIver, Brian Taylor, Fiona McKenzie, Catriona MacPherson Scottish Television: Bernard Ponsoby, Neil McLaren ITN: Martin Geissler, Alan Dickinson Radio Clyde: Colin MacKay BBC Online: Mark Coyle Newsquest: Tim Blott Daily Record: Magnus Gardham The Sun: Andrew Nicoll Herald: Anne Simpson Scotsman: Hamish MacDougall The Times: Angus MacLeod Daily Mirror: Maggie Barry Daily Mail: Stuart Nicolson Press Association: Jude Sheerin, Matt Dickinson, Melanie Watson Sunday Post: Campbell Gunn News of the World: Euan McColm Sunday Mail: Brian Lironi Sunday Herald: Paul Hutcheon, Steve Vass Sunday Times: Kenny Farquharson News International: Jason Allardyce, Carlos Alba + 1 Photographer: Michael Boyd

  Partner Organisations who attended and other guests

  Project Scotland: Julia Ogilvy, Kate Mathers Scottish Development International: Martin Togneri Impact Arts: David Hope Magnus Linklater BT Scotland (a Determined to Succeed partner): Tom Kelly, General Manager (Government, Scotland and Wales), Andy Torrance, Partner in Market Development (Scotland and Wales) Head Teacher and five pupils from Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School, West Dunbartonshire.

NHS Expenditure

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding was provided to NHS Argyll and Clyde for national initiatives outwith its annual budget allocation in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06, broken down by initiative.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39878).

NHS Expenditure

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual allocation of resources to NHS Argyll and Clyde was from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

Mr Andy Kerr: Details are as follows:

  

 
 (£ Million)


 1999-2000
 349.083


 2000-01
 379.134


 2001-02
 411.698


 2002-03
 435.462


 2003-04
 453.508


 2004-05
 527.517


 2005-06
 616.052

NHS Expenditure

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual allocation of resources was to (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and (b) NHS Highland from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

Mr Andy Kerr: Details are as follows:

  

 
NHS Greater Glasgow
(£ Million)
NHS Highland
(£ Million)


 1999-2000
 800.079
 171.762


 2000-01
 864.156
 184.198


 2001-02
 951.162
 204.907


 2002-03
 1,034.677
 222.063


 2003-04
 1,101.880
 244.851


 2004-05
 1,280.160
 302.818


 2005-06
 1,370.302
 330.287

NHS Expenditure

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to the health and community care budget in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The final Health Department combined Departmental Expenditure Limit and Annually Managed Expenditure for each year was as follows:

  

 Year
£000


 1999-2000
 4,926,991


 2000-01
 5,481,234


 2001-02
 6,284,026


 2002-03
 6,982,428


 2003-04
 7,316,933


 2004-05
 8,158,716


 2005-06
 8,955,401


 2006-072
 9,512,956



  The figures for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are on a cash basis while those for 2001-02 onwards are on a resource basis and are therefore not directly compatible.

NHS Staff

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Independent): To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical staff in the NHS, including nurses, doctors and dentists, are privately contracted and are considered to be employed by the NHS or the public sector.

Mr Andy Kerr: Figures on the number of medical staff in the NHS who are privately contracted are not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of employing management consultants in the NHS was in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information, as it is not separately disclosed in the accounts of NHS bodies.

NHS Staff

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, nurse consultants are educated to masters or PhD level.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. However, the guidance for establishing nurse consultant posts states that the postholder will have or be working towards a masters degree; have research experience and a record of scholarship and publication.

NHS Staff

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, nurses recruited in each of the last five years are nurse consultants.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information available is not in the form requested. Since 2001, NHS Scotland has appointed 41 nurse consultants. Fifteen further posts have been approved and three posts are vacant. These posts are strategic clinical leadership roles and, as such, are a small percentage (1.07%) of the nursing and midwifery workforce.

NHS Waiting Times

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of patients waiting for elective admission to trauma and orthopaedic departments were seen in (a) under three months, (b) under 12 months and (c) 12 months and over in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The majority of patients who require in-patient and day case treatment, including orthopaedic surgery, are treated quickly. Nearly 53% of patients treated in NHSScotland hospitals receive immediate treatment and never join a waiting list. Of those whose condition does not require immediate treatment and who are placed on a waiting list, over 40% are admitted within 1 month and over 70% within three months.

  The Executive has been steadily reducing the maximum waiting time for those patients who wait longer. The national maximum waiting time was reduced from 12 months to nine months on 31 December 2003 and to six months on 31 December 2005. This will be further reduced to 18 weeks from the end of 2007. On 31 March 2006, no patient with a guarantee had waited more than six months for orthopaedic surgery.

  NHSScotland is making good progress towards meeting the next key target of a maximum wait of 18 weeks by the end of 2007. At that point, a new approach to defining and measuring waiting will also be introduced to replace availability status codes (ASCs), which have the effect at present of excluding patients from waiting times guarantees where for example, they are medically unfit for treatment, where they have asked for their treatment to be postponed, or where their treatment is highly specialised or of low clinical priority. The new approach will be fairer, more consistent and more transparent.

  Retrospective analyses of waiting times for hospital treatment compiled from SMR01 returns are based on data that does not record whether patients have had an ASC applied. Information requested on waiting times for elective admissions to trauma and orthopaedic departments is given in the following table: it includes the waiting times of patients who have been exempted from the guarantee for the reasons given above and therefore overstates true waiting times. It is not possible to estimate the extent of the overstatement. The SMR3 waiting times census data, which excludes patients with ASCs, is used for target compliance purposes, and the table also presents SMR3 data for patients who were waiting for elective admission to trauma and orthopaedic departments on the censuses undertaken on 31 March in each year since 1999.

  NHSScotland: Percentage of Patients1 Who Waited Less Than Three Months, Less Than 12 Months and More Than 12 Months for Elective Admission2 in the Specialty of Trauma And Orthopaedics. Years Ended 31 March 1999–2006.

  

 Year
Total Elective Discharges
 Percentage Of Patients Who Waited


 Less Than 3 Months
 Less Than 12 Months
 Over 12 Months


 1999
 41,613
 55.6%
 97.2%
 2.9%


 2000
 39,376
 57.4%
 97.3%
 2.7%


 2001
 39,647
 51.4%
 95.8%
 4.2%


 2002
 37,834
 49.9%
 94.5%
 5.5%


 2003
 37,329
 45.8%
 92.2%
 7.9%


 2004
 39,827
 44.5%
 94.9%
 5.1%


 2005
 41,935
 40.4%
 95.5%
 4.5%


 2006P
 41,833
 38.7%
 96.0%
 4.0%



  Source: ISD Scotland. SMR01.

  Notes:

  PProvisional.

  1. Includes patients who held an availability status code.

  2. Includes admissions from the deferred waiting list prior to its abolition on 1 April 2003.

  NHSScotland: Percentage of Patients Who Had Waited Less Than Three Months, Less Than 12 Months and More Than 12 Months for Elective Admission in the Specialty of Trauma and Orthopaedics on 31 March in Each Year From 1999-2006.

  

 Year
 Total Waiting List – With A Guarantee
 Percentage Of Patients Who Had Waited


 Less Than 3 Months
 Less Than 12 Months
 Over 12 Months


 1999
 10,577
 58.5%
 100%
 0%


 2000
 13,132
 52.6%
 99.7%
 0.3%


 2001
 13,962
 48.1%
 100%
 0%


 2002
 14,661
 44.2%
 100%
 0%


 2003
 15,219
 50.8%
 100%
 0%


 2004
 15,272
 57.9%
 100%
 0%


 2005
 15,096
 58.9%
 100%
 0%


 2006
 14,070
 69.6%
 100%
 0%



  Source: ISD Scotland SMR3.

NHS Waiting Times

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time was for chiropody treatment in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally.

  The first national collection of information on waiting times for services provided by Allied Health Professionals, including chiropody and podiatry, was undertaken on 14 September 2005. The results from this census will be published by ISD Scotland on 6 July 2006 and will be available via its website: http://www.isdscotland.org/.

Planning

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to calling in the proposed development of two supermarkets in Galashiels.

Johann Lamont: Scottish ministers were asked to call in a planning application for the proposed Tesco supermarket at the former Government Buildings, 53 Market Street. Ministers took the view that no issues of significant national importance had been raised to warrant their intervention in the case.

  A planning application by Asda for the development of a retail unit at Currie Road has recently been notified to Scottish ministers and is currently being considered.

Planning

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Borders Council and local agencies, such as Scottish Enterprise, with regard to the proposals to develop two large supermarkets in Galashiels.

Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive has discussed nature conservation issues with Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Scotland have had contact with the council both over the proposed demolition of the Government Buildings in relation to the planning application by Tesco for a supermarket at 53 Market Street.

Prison Service

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with NHS boards in relation to accommodating prisoners, who have been admitted to hospital for treatment, in public wards.

Mr Andy Kerr: A prisoner remains the responsibility of the prison service when he or she is in hospital, and the hospital authorities are expected to work with prison staff to ensure appropriate security while the necessary clinical care is provided.

  It is for local NHS and custody staff to carry out a risk assessment in each case to ensure that the conditions of security in which the prisoner is treated are appropriate and not excessive. However, it is ultimately for the hospital to decide where to accommodate the patient based on their need for treatment and care. While local arrangements would not necessarily exclude an open ward, prisoner patients tend to be managed in side rooms.

Scottish Water

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Water has published on its website the results of its meeting to review available capacity and constraints in all local authority areas, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the management of development constraints caused by sewerage systems and waste water treatment works.

Rhona Brankin: In accordance with the requirements of the Memorandum of Understanding ,  Scottish Water met with SEPA to undertake a review of all available capacity in all local authority areas. The results of this work were incorporated into Scottish Water’s Strategic Asset Capacity & Development Plan. This report was published on 31 March 2006 and is available on their website: http://www.scottishwater.co.uk . This report will be updated on a regular basis.